Monthly Archives: August 2014

Great Businesses at the Marblehead Farmers Market

General

Don’t miss the Marblehead Farmers Market this Saturday, August 30th. It will start at 9 am and go until noon behind the Veterans Middle School. Some of the great things to look for include new produce: plums, apples, winter squash, corn, tomatoes, blueberries and more.

Craft vendors will also be selling their wares including the Le Bistro restaurant with Mediterranean food, Jan and John Cohen with note cards and calendars, Jennifer Hickman with candles, Robin Foudray with jewelry and Sally Marcy with arm warmers.

There will be performances by Teresa Coelho from Music Together of Marblehead, doing participatory children’s music.

The market will be held rain or shine though Nov. 22 so if you miss it, you’ll have another chances.

Marblehead Arts Association Appoints New Executive Director

News

The Marblehead Arts Association has just announced its selection of Kristine Fisher as their new executive director. She began on August 12th.

As they said,

“The Marblehead Arts Association is excited to have Kristine join the organization as executive director,” said Emily Cantor, president of the MAA Board of Directors. “Her extensive professional experience in conjunction with her knowledge of the regional arts community will greatly benefit our association. We look forward to many successes for years to come under Kristine’s leadership.”

Fisher said,

“I have long valued the rich legacy of the Marblehead Arts Association. I look forward to expanding membership and community outreach by continuing to bring vibrant exhibits, events and educational opportunities to MAA.”

Get Involved in the Arts

Entertainment

If you love the arts, then this might be just the thing for you. The Marblehead Festival of Arts is putting together its officers and directors for Fiscal Year 2015 and is looking for people who want to serve on the board.

As Robb Macomber, the chairman of the Nominating Committee said,

“[The year] 2015 is a unique year in that we will be producing our 50th Anniversary Arts Festival. We have a real opportunity to not only celebrate our accomplishments, but to begin to shape our future and are looking for strong candidates to be a part of this.”

If you don’t know about the Marblehead Festival of the Arts Inc., it’s a non profit that is composed of area residents who volunteer. The organization fosters artistic events and activities in Marblehead. Make sure you talk to them before August 26th if you’re interested in being involved. Send your replies to secretary@marbleheadfestival.org, including your name, email address or phone number, areas of interest and a little bit about you if you like, and a Festival representative will contact you.

Have fun!

Great Book by Massachusetts Writer Edith Maxwell

Entertainment

It’s always fun to feature a writer from Massachusetts, and few books are as entertaining as those from Edith Maxwell. Her latest book called “Til Dirt Do Us Part” is another of her local food mysteries. The book takes place on an organic farm run by Cameron Flaherty.

As one review explains,

“Fall harvesting is in full swing when rich, cranky Irene Burr is found dead in neighboring farmer Howard Fisher’s pigsty. Cam, the protagonist with enough zesty appeal to spice up any cozy, is only tangentially affected. The key person of interest, Bobby Burr (Irene’s stepson), rebuilt Cam’s barn after a recent fire in record time — allowing her to continue farming, selling at greenmarkets and distributing produce baskets to subscribers. As the shortening days pass, Cam’s involvement deepens. A threatening note is discovered on her property and her beloved cat goes missing. Burr shows up at her house late at night and in a panic, and just as quickly disappears into the woods. He swears his innocence. Cam has no choice but to defy local authorities and investigate on her own.”

With the summer winding down, it’s time to enjoy at least one more summer read from a great Massachusetts writer.

A Piece of History: The Marblehead Light

General

If you’ve never been to the Marblehead Light, then it’s high time that you learned a bit about your area’s history. The light house is on Marblehead Neck in Essex County and is a structure that replaced the original 1835 brick and wood tower in 1895. It is actually the only tower of its type in New England and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

As it explains on Wikipedia, “In August 1831, the townspeople of Marblehead requested that a lighthouse be built at the entrance to the harbour. Congress granted the wish and a 23 foot (7m) high tower was built in 1835 and commissioned on October 10, 1835.[3] This tower had an array of ten whale oil burning lamps inside an octagonal lantern.

In 1857, the old lamp system was replaced by a sixth order Fresnel lens and reflectors. Despite the upgrade and work on the tower and associated keepers’ house, the tower itself was in a poor condition and by 1893 a new light was requested. The new light was completed in 1895 at a cost of $8,786, the cost being much reduced by using a skeletal frame rather than rebuilding the old tower.”

Learn more about the light tower and more about Marblehead history today.